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For Your Calendar
Saturday, February 6
8:00 pm
FOSS Cocktail Party
Friday, February 12 -
Tuesday, February 16
No Classes
February Break
Wednesday, February 17
Classes Resume
Thursday, February 18
Coffee Talk: Family and Technology
Sunday, March 20
PJ, Pancakes, and Purim
at the Hoffman Summerwood Community
Friday, April 8
Schechter Shabbat Share
Saturday, April 9
JCC Film Festival: Schechter Parent/Staff Outing
Basketball Schedule
Tuesday, February 9
Girls at Watkinson
Thursday, February 11
Masters Tournament
Varsity Boys and Girls
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Mazel tov to...
Mark and Veronica Grubin
on the birth of their son,
Asher Richard Grubin
born Tuesday, February 2.
Asher joins big brother
Avery (EC3) and sister Aedyn.
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Paul Cryan Photos
Paul Cryan will no longer be photographing students at school. Any families wishing to have photos taken at his studio in Avon, CT are welcome to call his office and ask for a make-up day appointment.
860-676-1350
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Join Our List
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Community Events
Sunday, February 7
9:00 am
The Emanuel Synagogue
World Wide Wrap
Join congregations from around the world performing the Mitzvah of wrapping Tefillin. Experience a lively, musical, family-friendly, abbreviated morning service, and breakfast prepared by the Emanuel Brotherhood, Sisterhood & Minyonaires. This Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs program is free and open to the community, family and friends. No RSVP required. For more information contact
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Friendship Circle of Greater Hartford.
Click here for more information and a calendar of events.
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Saturday, February 20
8:00 pm
Beth David Synagogue presents a
n evening of Jazz and delectable tasting of Whisk(e)ys and Cordials.
Click here for more information.
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Sunday, February 21
2:30 pm
The Emanuel Synagogue
Greater Hartford Mega Challah Bake sponsored by Chabad.
Click here
for more information or visit www.megachallahbakect.com
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Thursday, February 25
7:00-9:00 pm
Mandell JCC
ADL invites y
ou to a free community briefing on How Does One Become a Terrorist?
Join us for a fascinating conversation as we hear from Oren Segal, Director of the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism and Research Center.
This special event will be offered at no charge, but registration is required. Registration deadline is February 22 at the Mandell Jewish Community Center.
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March 29-April 1
Host the Israeli Robotics
Team Members!
25 students and 5 teacher/chaperons coming from Israel to participate in Trinity College's Annual Fire Fighting Robot Contest. The Israeli Hosting Committee currently needs several families willing to house Israelis when they visit our community. For more information on hosting Israelis, please contact Sharon Efron,
860-559-4010.
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Shabbat Shalom
Parashat Mishpatim
Candlelighting 4:53 pm |
February 5, 2016
26 Shevat 5776
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Would you like a grandparent, relative, or friend to receive the Schechter newsletter?
Email [email protected] and include the name, email address, and relationship to Schechter
and we will add them to our list!
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| A Message from Andrea |
Reaping the Fruit of our Labor and Gratitude for the Investment
Schechter's Early Childhood Program (EC) is taking off. This year we have filled our two-year old room and next year's enrollment is growing so quickly we may soon close more than one of the rooms. This is incredible and it is also well deserved.
Approximately four years ago, under Michelle Fontaine's direction the early childhood program began its evolution. Rabbi Elliot Goldberg, the Head of School at the time, applied for a generous grant from the Jewish Community Foundation to transform the early childhood program inspired by Reggio Emilia. When Schechter went to the Foundation they made the case for a niche early childhood program which would provide students with an unparalleled educational experience and strengthen enrollment.
For over three years the EC faculty, Bonnie Schneider, Mary Grenham, Robin Werner, Julie Wilkins, Barbara Checknoff, Yeshiva Cohen, and Michelle Fontaine, under the guidance and coaching of Educational Consultant Patricia Reinhardt, have learned, observed, implemented and grown. They worked tirelessly on behalf of the students, Schechter, and the parents as they shared their learning with the school community.
New additions to the team this year Julie Bogdan and Ana Rosa Navarette are partnering with their co-teachers in adopting this educational philosophy.
This type of transformation takes time, incredible energy, tireless work, unwavering commitment and patience. While it doesn't happen quickly, when it is done well, as it was at Schechter, the results are numerous and tremendous. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the vision (Rabbi Elliot Goldberg and Michelle Fontaine), the investment (The Jewish Community Foundation), the work (the entire EC faculty) and the trust (all of you).
As we bask in the glory of this achievement on behalf of our early childhood students, the faculty, and all of the Schechter community, let's also remember the path that was embarked upon almost four years ago - it was a path of vision and promise and also risk. While not every step will always meet with such success, let's keep taking them, let's keep investing in exciting ways in our future, so that when they do meet with success we all reap the rewards.
Shabbat Shalom,
Andrea
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4th Graders Spice Up Their Learning |
Recently, fourth grade students engaged in an integrated Social Studies/Language Arts activity on spices. The spice trade was one of the reasons that early explorers set sail to the new world. Students worked in pairs to taste and research spices and then presented their information to the class. They utilized the interesting facts that they researched to convince the class that "their" spice should be the most important one of all.
Cooper Govoni-Raich and Ari Sobel-Pressman reported that paprika has more vitamin C then oranges! Cooper Ben-Kiki and Eli Rotter found that cinnamon comes from the bark of a tree and Shoham Grupper and Miriam Newman shared that vanilla beans come from orchids and each one can only produce one pod and are so valuable that owners "brand" them with a series of pin pricks to show ownership. Serena van der Hulst and Ava Leshem discovered that it takes 255,000 hand picked staymans of a crocus flower to make a pound of saffron and that it is the most expensive spice (each crocus only produces 3 stayman). Pauline Golder and Talia Leshem learned that cloves get their name from the French word for nail which describes their shape. Alex Levin and Jenna Segal shared that allspice was used to keep soldiers feet warm. Abigail Gordon and Halaylah Schectman reported on pepper and let the class know that black pepper is the one that stays on the vine the longest and that is why it is the most shriveled. It is also known as the King of Spices.
The students were also interested to see where the explorers sailed from and the routes they traveled.
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Walking in the Footsteps of Dinosaurs |
Students in second grade recently completed a two-month study  of dinosaurs. They learned about the three periods of the Mesozoic Era. As a highlight and conclusion to the unit, the students visited the Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill. The knowledge that these students have acquired was evident by their answers during a slide presentation and a Q & A based on the many exhibits.
Afterwards, the students walked on the grounds around the park, where
 they observed more than 500 early Jurassic dinosaur footprints. These fossil tracks were discovered accidentally during excavation for a state building in 1966. Students
Ellie Kay and
Charlie Levin were so excited to see actual fossils from Connecticut!
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Students Enjoy Performance of The Prince and the Pauper |
Recently, students in Kindergarten through fifth grade had the amazing experience of watching a talented troupe of actors re-enact the Mark Twain story of The Prince and the Pauper. These three actors from Shakespearience Productions, told the tale while playing multiple roles with simple costume and voices changes. The set was a Soma cube which resembled a chessboard that could be assembled in various configurations with hidden compartments for props. Rearranging the cube, the actors asked the students to use their imaginations to "see" the throne, tower, dining room and other scenes.
After the performance, the actors opened the floor for questions and explained how they created the production, including, for example, retelling the story to fit their cast and staging needs, simple costume adjustments, and scenery changes. In his thank you note to the company, third grader Jeremy Eisen said, "I liked the fact that they each played more than one role." Raviv Harel-Sibelman observed, "Everyone should be treated with respect and kindness, and I loved learning some sign language from the actors." Fourth grader, Miriam Newman said, "I was able to imagine the show in my mind from the acting and scenery."
This program was made possible by the
Parent Association.
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2nd Graders Visit Residents at Hebrew Home |
Last week, the second grade visited with their "friends" at the Hebrew Home and Hospital. This month's theme was " A wish for more snow." Residents stories about when they were young and what they enjoyed doing in the snow. Together, the students and residents created cut out colorful snowman and then listened to story about snowman.
Before returning to school, students and residents shared a nice tasty snack.
Jethro Ehrlich exclaimed, "This was so much fun! "
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4th Grade Students Study the Phases of the Moon |
Students in fourth grade have been studying the relationship between the  sun, moon, and the earth in our solar system. They have been learning about the phases of the moon and why the moon appears to change shape. Teacher Merissa Spector used two very different methods to give the students a hands-on experience. First, the students used flashlights and styrofoam balls to show the reflection of sunlight on the moon as revolves in a circle. This past week, students carved away at oreo cookies to a visual of the moon's phases. Ava Leshem said, "I liked how we can use different materials to show the moon in different ways." The students used a plain oreo cookie half to represent the new moon and a fully iced oreo cookie half to represent the full moon. Eli Rotter said, "I learned that the moon looks different in different phases when the sun shines on it."
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Playing Games Helps Students Learn Math |
Students in Mrs. Teitelbaum's fifth grade math class enjoy learning math  concepts using different games and activities. During some classes, students play an assortment of games and participate in a variety of center activities designed to help them practice a new skill or to review one they learned before. Fifth grader Molly Lerner said, "It's fun because you don't even realize you're learning." Some center activities encourage students to express their mathematical ideas in words by explaining to a peer how they solved a problem. According to Summer Neiditz "It makes it easier and more fun and the games don't make my brain hurt!"
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Young Students Enjoy Visiting Composer |
Schechter students in Early Childhood through first grade engaged in a very lively presentation of singing and movement activities by children's Jewish composer and musician Ellen Allard.
" It was wonderful to watch the children so actively participating. Some of the songs presented were ones that the students have learned with our musician -in-residence Adrian Durlester, a friend of Allard. Also, our Early Childhood students have shown a very strong passion for music this year, so we were very excited for our children to have this opportunity," said Early Childhood Director, Michelle Fontaine." We look forward to continuing to foster this love of music with an upcoming drumming presentation this month."
This presentation was made possible through the generosity of Schechter's Parent Association.
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Parent Association Updates |
Mishloach Manot
: Leah Berson will be launching the
Purim basket fundraiser
next week. Volunteers will be needed to help pack baskets on
Tuesday, March 22
and to deliver them on
Thursday, March 24
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Coffee Talks
: The PA will sponsor a series of three talks beginning on
Thursday, February 18 at 8:45 am
in the PA room. The first topic will be
Family and Technology
. What do parents need to know about safe practices with digital devices, what are some recommended apps that can help us monitor family technology, and what are some apps that teachers recommend for students? We will then discuss the impact of technology on the developing child, including both the helpful and harmful aspects.
JCC Film Festival
: SAVE THE DATE
Saturday, April 9
, we are organizing a parent / staff outing to the screening of
Rock in the Red Zone
. "Despite living in the bomb shelter capital of the world, Sderot's people persevere under fire through music." A reception begins at
8:00 pm
followed by the film at
9:00 pm
at the
Herbert Gilman Theater, Mandell JCC.
More information to follow.
Box Tops
: Erica Nair, Box Tops Chair, urges everyone to collect their box tops for the March 1
st
submission.
AmazonSmile
is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at
smile.amazon.com
, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford.
On your first visit to AmazonSmile (
smile.amazon.com
), you need to select Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford as your charitable organization. Then every eligible purchase you make at
smile.amazon.com
will result in a donation.
Spread the word!
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Susan Kurtis, Editor
Lara Lakenbach and Audrey Sobel, Asst. Editors
Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford |
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